Automobile body



Jan. 12 1926.

F. J. PEW

AUTOMOBILE BODY Original Filed Oct. 20, 1924 In zrenfar:

fill. Pew

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMOBILE BODY.

Application filed October 20, 1924, Serial No. 744,829. Renewed August 8, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN J ONES Paw, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of St. Catharines, in the countyv of Lincoln, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Bodies, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automobile bodies and the object of the invention is to devise means whereby the backs of the front and rear seats may be turned down to constitute berths or beds.

A further object is to provide means whereby the seat portion can be readily pushed forwardly as the back of the seat is turned down into alignment therewith.

A still further object is to devise means whereby the top of the cushion of the seat portion when pushed forwardly will assume a substantially horizontal position instead of being inclined downwardly from front to rear, as is the case when the seat portion is i in the normal position.

Another object is to devise means for rigidly supporting the back of each seat portion on the floor ofv the vehicle when in its normal position.

My invention consists of a deviceconstructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents .a vertical longitudinal section through a closed automobile body provided with seats constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the frame construction attached to the seat and back portions of a seat, and also showing the block base upon which. the frame is mounted.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

1 is the floor of the car. 2 are block shaped bases for each seat, each of said bases having the upper surface thereof inclined downwardly from an intermediate point to its forward end and the rear portion of such upper surface substantially horizontal.

- Four independent bases 2 are used, sum ably positioned on the floor of the car and either built up to their required form or constructed solid. These bases are rigidly secured to the floor of. the car and the front and rear bases of each pair are suitably spaced apart.

. 3 are'the'seat portions adapted to be applied to the bases 2, said seat portions having a lower surface corresponding in shape to the upper surface of the supporting bases. 4 is a U-shaped frame of strip material secured to the side and front lower edges of the seat portions 3, and the forward portions of. its side members inclined downwardly from rear to front to correspond with the inclinationof the lower surface of the seat 3 and the coacting face of the base 2. The lower edge of the U-shaped frame 4 is positioned below the lower surface of the seat 3 and thus when the seat is applied to the basethe frame 4 holds it against lateral or longitudinal displacement.

5 are upwardly extending brackets formed at the rear end of the members 4 to which are pivotally secured the brackets 6 of the supporting members 7 which are secured to the side faces of the seat backs 8, the brackets 6 being positioned intermediately of the length of such members 7 The lower ends of the members 7 depend below the lower edges of the seat backs and are stepped into the sockets 9 countersunk into the floor 1 of the car.

10 is a laterally extending roller journalled at its ends in the frame 4 in the vicin ity of the rear end thereof. 11 is a brace rod extending between the brackets 5.

In Figure 1 of the drawing the near seats are illustrated in the normal position and the far seats are illustrated swung into the berth or bed form. In order to move the seats from their normal position into the bed form the lower ends of the members 7 are unstepped from the sockets 9 and the seat portions 3 lifted a slight extent so as to permit the rollers 10 to ride on the horizontal portions of the base 2. The back portions 8 are now swung down rearvvardly and the seats pushed forwardly until they assume the position illustrated by the farnormal position the upper surfaces of the seat backs are in alignment with the upper surfaces of the seats.

The upper edge of the forward seat backs is set at an angle to the front surfaces therei of so that when it is turned downwardly into: the bed position it will lie parallel to the forward edge of the rear seat portions. The back portions of the rear seats are similarly swung down as indicated in the case of the farther seats in Figure land when this is done a bed of full length will be constituted.

In making up the beds the preferable way would be to swing one set of seats out of the way by unstepping the forward ends of the members 7 and swinging the seat backs onto the seats and by grasping such free ends of the members 7 move the seats out of the way so that the remaining seats can be made up into a bed with the minimum of trouble. This will facilitate applying the bedclothes, The remaining seats are now made up into the form of a bed and the bed clothesapplied thereto.

Thus, when the seats are moved into the bed position two independent berths or beds will be constituted in the body of the car.

To move the seatsinto their normal seating position it is only necessary to pull up the seat backs and pull rearwardly on the seat portion when the free ends of the members 7 may again be stepped into-the'sockets 9. i

From the above description it will be apparent that I have devised a simple and effective seating arrangement in which the seats can be readily moved into position whereby they assume the form of berths or beds, and, moreover, I have devised detachable means for supporting the seat backs which will make such backs rigid when in the seating position.

The rollers 10 when the seat portions 8 are in the normal seating position on the bases 2 will be positioned so as to, lie slightly below the rear upper edge of the bases 2 and thus prevent forward displacement of such seat portions from the bases unless such seat portions are raised a small extent at their rearends.

W'hat I claim as my invention is:

l. in an automobile body, a seat base having an upper surface with a substantially horizontal rear portion and a forward portion inclined upwardly from its forward edge to the junction with the rear portion, a seat having a substantially hori- .zontal rear portion and an inclined front portion on its lower surface, the inclination of the, forward portion of the lower portion of the seat corresponding with the inclination of the forward portion of the upper surface of the base, a back portion hinged to the seat portion, and means for supporting. the'back portion in itsinormal position.- a

2. 'In an automobile body, aseat base having an upper surface with a substantially horizontal rear portion and a forward portion inclined upwardly from its forward edge to the junction with the rear portion, a seat having a substantiall horizontal rear portion and an inclined ront portion on its lower surface, the inclination of the forward portion of, the lower portion of the seat corresponding f, with the inclination of the forward portion of the upper surface of the base, a back ortion hinged to the seat portion, means, orsupporting the back portion in its normal position, a

U-shaped frame secured to the seat portion,.

the ends of the legs of the U-shaped frame directed rearwardly, depending members secured to the sides of the back portion and hinged to the legs of the U-shaped frame, and means for detachably supporting the lower ends of the depending members on the floor of the body. i

3. In an automobile body, a seat base having an upper surface with a substantially horizontal rear portion and a forward portion inclined upwardly from its forward edge to the junction with the rear portion, a seat having a substantially horithe lower ends of the depending members stepped into the sockets.

4c. In anautomobile body, a seat base having an upper surface with a substantially horizontal rear portion and a forward portion inclined upwardly from its forward edge to the junction with the rear portion, a seat having a substantially hori-.

zontal rear portion and an inclined front portion on its lower surface, the inclination of the forward portion of the lower portion of the seat corresponding with the inclination of the forward portion of the upper surface of the base, a back portion hinged zontal rear portion and an inclined front to the seat portion, means for supporting a transverse roller journalled at its ends the back portion in its normal position, a in the legs of the U-shaped frame in the U-sheped frame secured to the seat portion, vicinity of the extremities of the legs, and 10 the ends of the legs of the U-shaped frame means for detachably supporting the lower 5 directed rearwardly, depending members seends of the depending members on the floor cured to the sides of the back portion and of the body. hinged to the legs of the U-shaped frame, FRANKLIN JONES PEW. 

